The Care Penalty: Unpacking Gender Disparities in Workforce Participation in India

Globally, around 708 million women are outside of the workforce due to care responsibilities, according to new estimates from the International Labour Organization (ILO), which are derived from the data from 125 countries. 

Illustration by The Geostrata

In 2023, 748 million people aged 15 and older were not participating in the global workforce due to care duties, which accounts for one-third of all working-age individuals outside of the labour force. Of these, 708 million were women while 40 million were men, highlighting the striking gender disparity in caregiving responsibilities.

The gender gap in labour force participation is closely tied to societal expectations, traditional gender roles and gender stereotypes around caregiving duties and work. Women are often seen as the primary “caregivers” and men as “breadwinners”, as a result women are expected to prioritise family over pursuing careers. 

According to the new ILO brief, gender imbalances in access to employment and working conditions are more widespread than previously thought and progress in mitigating these disparities has been moving at a disappointingly slow pace over the past two decades, painting a bleak picture of the situation of women in the world of work. 

INDIA: A DEEP ROOTED STRUGGLE

Female labour force participation rate in India has been historically low, pointing to societal norms placing constraints on how and where women can work. Despite robust economic growth and increasing wages and income, there has been a trend of declining participation of women in the labour force. However, when women are employed, they are most likely to be in the informal sector, less stable or more marginal positions, further impacting their willingness to accept work. 

The decision and ability of a woman to join the workforce are shaped by complex interplay of economic and social factors at both the household and societal level. Based on global evidence, some of the most significant drivers include educational attainment, fertility rates and the age of marriage, economic conditions, and urbanisation. In addition to these factors, deeply rooted social norms about women's role in public life continues to affect the outcomes and shaping their opportunities.

Cultural and Societal Norms

Traditional gender roles in India position men as breadwinners and women as caregivers, deeply influencing workforce dynamics. Women are expected to prioritise familial responsibilities, including child-rearing, elder care, and household management, over pursuing professional ambitions.

In rural areas, patriarchal norms are more pronounced, with women often confined to unpaid agricultural or domestic work. In urban settings, despite increasing education levels, women still face societal pressures to exit the workforce after marriage or childbirth.

Marriage and motherhood often mark significant drop-offs in female workforce participation, as women are perceived to be less committed to their jobs or face stigmatisation for working outside the home.

Structural Barriers to Employment

The lack of structural support exacerbates the gender imbalance in India’s labour force. India has a severe deficit of affordable and accessible childcare facilities, forcing women to withdraw from the workforce to fulfill caregiving responsibilities.

Concerns about sexual harassment and inadequate safety measures in workplaces and during commutes deter women from seeking employment, particularly in sectors requiring travel or night shifts.

A significant proportion of working women in India are employed in the informal sector, with low wages, no job security, and minimal legal protections. This lack of formal opportunities discourages sustained participation.

Economic and Educational Factors

Despite increasing access to education for women, their participation in the workforce has not kept pace. Educated women, particularly in urban India, often face higher opportunity costs for low-paying jobs and choose to remain at home unless suitable roles are available. Women in India earn, on average, 20% less than men, a discouraging factor for those considering re-entering the workforce after a career break.

The COVID-19 pandemic further exacerbated gender disparities in India’s labour force. Job losses disproportionately affected women, and the burden of unpaid care work surged. While men have largely recovered their jobs post-pandemic, women have struggled to return, leading to a “she-cession” that risks further entrenching inequalities.

Intersectionality in Workforce Challenges

The main dimension of intersectionality is gender, which has historical legacies of power relations and discriminations. This often leads to microaggressions and marginalisation for women, highlighting that gender dynamics have significant impacts on employment opportunities, pay gaps, lack of advancement opportunities, sexual harassment and non-inclusivity. 

POLICY INTERVENTIONS AND THE WAY FORWARD

The Maternity Benefit (Amendment) Act, 2017 is a great example of the same. While extending maternity leave to 26 weeks is a positive step, it inadvertently disincentivises employers from hiring women due to perceived additional costs.

Programs like Stand-Up India and Mudra Yojana aim to encourage women entrepreneurs. Additionally, initiatives like Skill India and Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS) aim to boost women’s economic participation but require better targeting and implementation to address gender-specific barriers.

Several key measures need to be implemented to create a more inclusive and equitable workforce environment, such as providing training and conducting public awareness programs, establishing local committees to administer workplace policies effectively, and supporting the creation of free-functioning women’s organisations to create a safer, more supportive environment. 

To sum up, advancing women’s participation in the labour force and ensuring access to decent work are critical to achieving an inclusive and sustainable environment. Addressing women's challenges requires a holistic approach that combines policy reforms, gender-sensitive programs, and societal shifts in attitudes toward gender roles.

Image Credits: Rightful Owner

By creating an enabling environment through education, skills development, childcare support, and safe working conditions, alongside efforts to eliminate discrimination and promote equitable opportunities, we can empower women to fully contribute to and benefit from economic growth.

Ultimately, encouraging gender equality in the workforce is not just a matter of fairness but a fundamental driver of economic and social progress. The aim should not merely be to raise female labor force participation rate but to also create quality job opportunities for women, ensuring they have the freedom and access to decent, productive employment.

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BY NAVYA SRIRAM & NISHICA CHOUDHARY

TEAM GEOSTRATA

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